St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-12

y
under the shadow of the trees, and with
Il pious sister, young and white as wax,
to pet and rock us upon her breast. l
was the favOrte, and preferred this
petting to running and romping with
the other children.
AT eleven years of age, after the first
communion, came want and misery,
NOTHING But WANT AND MISERY.
The hospital board had apprenticed
me to maker of chairS-StraW chairs
in the Fauberg St Jacques. 1t is a tri-
especially so then. The patron could
employ but two young apprentices, and
those only the poor little ones, bound
out like myself, from the JeuneS
AveugleS. 1t is there that l first began
to suffer from hunger. The patron and
patroneSs. two hard-hearted LamOuSinS
and now dead aSsassinS, were cruelty
avariclOuS, cutting US but a morsel OF
bread at meal hours, and the rest OF the
time under lock and key: and at supper
You should have seen the mistress
with every ladleful dipped from the
bowl and looking as black as thunder
The two other apprentices, JeuneS
Aveugles also, were less unhappy than
L not that she gave them
more than she gave to me, but they
were spared the look of bitter reproach
with which this wicked woman seasoned
every mouthful of food l ate, for UNI
fortunately | already possessed an APP
petite. 1t was not my fault. but had
it, and made my apprenticeship OF those
long years in continual hunger.
Three years to master a business
that can be mastered in month! But
the hospital board could not know every
thing, and is doubtless still taking adj
vantage of the children. You were sur
priSed to see me devour the bread you
mad thrown into the muddy road, but
am in the habit of doing sO-yOu see
tell you everything have even
eaten the cruStS from the SWeeplngS OF
the streets, then too dry to get them
! down. soaking them until soft enough
in my jug of water. Once in while
great Wind-fall would come TO me in the
| shape of a whole
SLICE ONLY NIBBLED AT THE END,
| thrown from the baskets Of the children
as they passed on their way to school.
| always tried to go by the school houses
in doing my errandS.
well, when the three years were up
| had been taught business, but it was
not one, as have told you, to nourish
man comfortably, so | tried to make
Others With the heart to work at any
lOl tiiS iietooii'o.
was a waiter in shop, a salesman, a
frotteur, and polished floors; in fact. it
is impossible to tell you all / tried and
! did. One day | would find no work, an
! other day | would lose my place. In
short, no matter in what | engaged. L
could never earn the means to keep me
| supplied with food.
81 never had enough to eat, never!
All, tOnnerre, the RACES L nave had in
I
| piles of bread and cakes! Happily for
me, at such moments l remembered the
words of the good sister of the home:
BE honest. my child, be honest; what
ever comes to thee, never steal!
Sat last at eighteen years of age en-
| listed. You know as well as | that the
trooper at all times has barely enough;
| and now it almost makes me laugh; be-
hold, here's the siege and the famine.
| You see that did net lie awhile ago
when1 told you that 1 have always been
| hungry. Yes, .alwaysw
Henri de Hardimont had kind heart,
and listening to this terrible plant ut
tered by man like himself, by soldier
that the uniform of his country made
his equal, felt himself profoundly
moved 1t was well for his dandy cool
ness that the evening wind dried up i'll
his eyes the tears which he knew
| dimIned them.
jean Victor" said he. turning about
and grasping the hand of this founding
of the hospital, IF both OF us survive
this frightful war, we shall meet again,
and hope to be of service to you. But
for the moment, as there is no other
baker at the post than the capOral dor
dinaire, and my ration of bread is twice
too much for my poor appetite, it is
agreed, is it not, that we share it like
| good comradeS"
1t was warm and hearty grasp of
| the hacd that these two men gave each
they were worn by sentinel duty
and the constant alarms, they entered
the caberret, where a dozen Or more
| soldiers were resting upon the floor,
and throwing themselves side by side
| on the straw, were soon wrapped in
| Slumber.
Toward midnight. however, Jean Vic
tor awOke, from hunger probably. The
wind had swept the clouds away and
ray of moonlight, penetra tingthe cabba-
ret through the hole in the roof, lighted
the fair and handsome head of Henride
| Hardiment sleeping like second En-
| dymion. Touched by the kindness of his
c0mrade, Jean Victor was regarding
him with artlesS admirntiOn, when the
sergeant of the platoon opened the door
and called for the five men whose turn
it was to relieve the advanced senti-
uelS. The duke was one of the num-
Der, but he was sleeping heavily and
did not hear them when they called his
| name.
"Up, Hardimont, up!''' the sub-ofiicer
repeated.
''If you are willing, my sergeant"
said Jean Victor, suddenly, ''if you are
willing,
ILL GO IN HIS PLACE,
he sleeps so well; and then, he is my
comrader'
''As you will!'
The five men go out, and the snoring
recommences. Half an hour later the
sound of gun shots near and hurried
rang through the night. In an instant
every one was on his feet and rushing
from the cabaret, his hand upon his gun
and marching steadily along the road,
white and glistening with the moon.
''But what time is it?" cried the duke
directly; Il was i'll the relief tonight"
Yes" his neighbor answered, 'but /
know Jean Victor has gone in your
| place."
AT this moment soldiercame running
along the road.
What is it, they cried, ''what was
the firing?"
''The Prussians attacked-we re-
trrated-''
And your comrades, man, your COM
rades?'
"Coming-that is, all but Jean Vic
| tor"
''What-what has happened to him?"
stammered the duke.
KILLED at the first fire-a ball through
the head"
One night last winter the Duke de
Hardimont. toward 3 o'clock in the
morning. left the club room of LIE
with neighbOr of his, the Comte de
| SaulneS He had lost a good deal moro